Improvement in weight-motors



J. M. cAYcE. WEIGHT-MOTOR.

Patented June 12, 1877.

NJTERS, PHOTO-UTHDGRAPHR, WASHINGTDH, D. C

UNITED STATES Franklin, State of Tennessee, have invented a new and l Improved Weight-Motor; and I do hereby4 declare that the followingis a full, clear, andv :I DA'IENT QFFICE.

JOHN M. oAYcE, or FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE.

`INI PROVEIVlENT-"IN `WEIGHT-MOTORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 91,930, dated June 12, 1877 application iled May 31, 1877.

V To all whom it may concern:

Be 'it known that I, JOHN M.UAYGE, of

in the county of Williamson and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side elevation.

planview.; Fig. 3, a sectional detail view .through the rocking frame.-

My invention relates to an improved weight- 4motor,designed to render available, as a mo- .tive power for vgeneral purpose, the gravity of .falling weights. invention rests in theV transfer of a weight -from one side of a pivoted frame to the other,

The general principle of my and the utilization of the consequent rocking movement of the frame to communicate a .rotary motion to a fly-wheel through a ratchetand-pawl mechanism.

My present improvement consists mainly in arranging two weighted levers in a frame and gearing their inner ends together by cogvwheels, so that when the two weights are to be transferred from one side ofthe pivoted frame to the other they move in opposite directions, and describe upper and lower semicircles. The merit of this arrangement is that,

while the two weights co-operate with each other, and impart tothe frame their aggre- `gate motive value for the given portion of their effective stroke, they also counterbalance each other while `being shifted from one side to the other of the pivoted frame, so that a much less power is required to effect said transfer than is represented by the actual `weight lof the levers.

In the drawing, A represents anysuitable frame-work for my motor, to the uprights or standards B B of which is pivoted the rocking frame C, the frame being arranged either to rock upon the pivot-studs a a, attached to the uprights, or the said studs being attached to the frame,`so as to move with it and turn in bearings in the uprights. Between the two sides of the frame C are journaled in bearings two shafts, D D, the one above and the other below the pivots a of the frame, and upon these shafts are located symmetrical cogwheels E E, arranged to gear with each other.-

Projecting radially from those shafts or, if desired, from the cog-wheels themselves are the levers F F, which bear upon their outer extremities the heavy weights G G, the gravity of which constitutes the eective power of the motor.V These levers, by reason of the location of their respectiveshafts at the top and bottom ofthe frame, have each a free sweep in a semicircle from one side to the other of" the machine, the upper lever and its weight passing over, and the lower lever passing under, the frame. The movement of these levers in thus being transferred from one to the other side of the pivot is determined by the bars H H, arranged midway between the shafts of the levers, and provided with an elastic cushion, b, to receive and deaden the shock. The rocking motion of `rthe frame C is also limited by the stop-pins d which strike alternately the opposite sides of the standards, to which the frame is pivoted.

In transferring the weighted levers from one side of the frame to the other a fork, e, is made to embrace one of the levers, (with suficient playto permit the free motion of the lever during its working stroke,) and the fork is connected with a shaft, j', carrying a cogwheel, g, arranged in suitable bearings beside the rocking frame.` Just below the cog-wheel g is a rack-bar, z', formed on the end of a rod, j, connected to a hand-lever, k, which rackbar is supported and guided upon a grooved friction-roller, Z, and is also held up thereby t0 its engagement with the cog-wheel, which is rigidly connected with the fork embracing the weighted lever.

N ow, in transferring the weighted levers from one side ofthe frame to the other, to secure the rocking of the latter, all that is necessary is to operate the hand-lever back and forth, either by hand or by any other suitable means, which movement, limited by stops :c a2, it will be seen oscillates the pinion and fork through the rackbar, and carries with the fork the weighted lever., Now, this weighted lever being connected through its cog-gearing with the other weighted lever, as they move to theopposite side ol' the .frame they separate, and the weight of the one in falling tends to lift the weight of the other in rising for the first h-alf of the movement, while, after the perpendicular is passed, the weight of the upper one in Afalling tends to litt the weight ofthe lower one, which is now rising.

By this arrangement itwill be seen thatv in transferring the .levers from side to side the weight of one counterbalances the weight of the other, so that the power required to transfer the aggregate weight of the two is but little more than that necessary to overcome the friction; but, while this is true, it will be movement of the weights of the lever takesl place near the horizontal line, at which the .best leverage is obtained, and that the mo- 'mentum of the two levers in coming together upon opposite sides of the stop-bar H is completely neutralized, the one by the other, so that in the stoppage of the weight at the end of its transfer there is no shock, noise, or breaking strain produced upon the frame, to interfere with its uniform working.

Instead of having the barsv H to e'ect the stoppage and neutralization of the momentum of the two levers, cushions may be placed upon the weights or levers themselves, and the weights be thus allowed to strike together, to produce the same result.

As the weights are transferred from side to side, the frame C correspondingly tilts t0- ward the weights so .lougas they continue to be shifted; and in transmitting and utilizing this tilting or rocking movement ofthe frame two pitmen, mt m', are pivoted to the lower portion of the frame at one end, and at their other ends are pivoted to two arms, n n'. These arms are arranged loosely upon a shaft,

I, and upon opposite sides of a ratchet-wheel,

J, rigidly attached to said shaft. Said arms carry spring-pressed pawls o o at their extremities, which, upon opposite sides of the ratchet-wheel, engage alternately with the teeth of the latter.

Now, as the tilt of the frame C causes the pitmen to move simultaneously and together toward the ratchet-wheel, thelower pawl o' engages with thel ratchet-wheel and rotates it a given distance by a pushing movement, While the upper pawl is pushed back to a new position. Now, upon the reverse -tilt of the frame. C, the pitman m and pawl 0 operate with a pulling movement, while pawl o' is pulled forward to a new position.

By this means it will be seen that the rocking movement of the frame O is converted into a continuous rotary movement of the ratchetwheel J and its shaft I, which is transmitted to a fly-wheel, K, through the speeding-gear L M N O P Q.

As the movements ofthe pitmen m` m is comparatively small any slack between the pawls and the teeth of the ratchet would be objectionable, and, it' the ratchet-Wheel were made small, such slack movement would be proportionately great, in consequence of the yfailure of' the pawls to always register nicely with the said teeth in securing a hold; and hence I attach the pitmen to arms n, at a point near the center, and enlarge the ratchetwheel, so as to transfer the movement of the pitman to the shaft I, to the best advantage of leverage, and at the same time diminish-by the increased number of teeth the slack movement in the engagement of the pawl with the teeth, which slack movement involves not only a loss of power, but an injurious shock and wear to the machine.

In relation to the scope'of' my invention, I

would. state that I do not confine myself to the details of the same, as shown and described, as these may be varied without departing from the principles of the invention. Thus, for instance, I do not limit myself to cog-wheels to gear the weighted levers together for securing the principle of the counterpoiseas friction-pulleys and other mechanical devices may be used in thisA connection. I may also modify the construction of the rocking frame, or the arrangement of the devices for transferring the weighted levers. In making use of my improved motor, also, I

may employ it in single form, as shown; or I may arrange two or more in the form of a series to operate conjointly.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new isl. Two weighted levers, geared together, and combined with a pivoted lframe,substan tially as described, whereby the aggregate weight of the levers is transmitted to the frame, and the levers made to counterbalance each other, to permit their transfer from side to side with a powerless than that represented by their actual weight. y

2. Two weighted levers, combined with a pivoted frame, andgeared together to permit the shock or momentum of one to be met and neutralized by the shock vor momentum of the other, substantially as described.

3. rIhe pivoted frame, having stop-bars'H with elasticcushions, in combination with the weighted levers, arranged upon opposite sides of said stop-bars, and geared together, asidescribed.

4. The combination of the weighted levers, geared together, as described, the pivoted frame C, having stop-pins d d, and the supporting-standards B, substantially as andl for the purpose described.

5. The combination, with the weighted levers, geared together so as to counterbalance each other, of a fork, e, cog-wheel g, guideroller l, rack-bar z', rod j, and hand-lever k, substantially as described, and for the purpose of operating said Weighted levers.

6. The diametrically arranged arms n u', carrying pawls o o', in combination with the enlarged ratchet-wheel J, 'the rocking frame C, and with the two pitmen m m pivoted at the center of the wheel, snbstantiallsr as described, and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN M. CAYOE. Witnesses:

SoLoN C. KEMON, GHAs. A. PETTIT. 

